Speaking to The Times, the former Olympic champion said that she struggles to brush off negative comments about her appearance as they reflect how she feels herself.

Adlington said: "Every day I look in the mirror and go, 'God, I'm not pretty'.

"I've got a very big nose. That's what most of the negative comments on Twitter are about - my nose. People say, 'Oh God you look like a dolphin', or 'I didn't realize they let whales into the Olympics, but at least you should be able to swim faster with a nose like that'."